Whiskeytown--An Overview of the Visitor and the Recreation Resource M. E. Lee K. Martinson D.R. Field A. Gross • NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Cooperative Park Studies Unit College of Forestry CL Oregon State University 7:19 Corvallis, OR 97331 CPSU/OSU 86-8 .Al9 C77 rD .B6-S c. l Whiskeytown--An Overview of the Visitor and Recreation Resource Marty E. Lee Donald R. Field Kristen Martinson Alan Gross Cooperative Agreement CA-9000-3-0003 Subagreement No. 5 National Park Service Cooperative Park Studies Unit Oregon State University Corvallis, OR 97331-5704 CPSU/OSU 86-8 December 1986 Whiskeytown Reports I Rather than prepare a single volume covering the full range of topics presented within the Whiskeytown research program, individual reports focusing on specific research objectives will be completed. - The first report is a bibliography of water-based recreation completed in 1985 entitled "People, Human Behavior and Water-based Recreation: A Working Bibliography," CPSU/OSU 85-5. - The second report is entitled "Recreation Places: A Description of Recreation Sites at Whiskeytown," and was completed in 1986, CPSU/OSU 86-3. - This, the third report is a description of the visitors to Whiskeytown and is entitled "Whiskeytown--An Overview of the Visitor and the Recreation Resource," CPSU/OSU 86-8. The fourth report is an analysis of carrying capacity issues and social conflict among user groups at Whiskeytown, scheduled for completion in winter 1987. - The fifth report will focus on visitor response to park management issues, and will be completed spring 1987. - The sixth report will address interpretation at a National Recreation Area, anticipated completion date in spring 1987. Executive Summary The goal of this report is to provide an overview of the Whiskeytown Unit as a recreation resource in northern California. Specific objectives include 1) brief descriptions of the Shasta County population served by the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA, 2) the water-based recreation opportunities available in northern California including public (Federal, State and local recreation resources) and private water resources and 3.) descriptions of the people who use Whiskeytown and the recreation activities chosen by them. Key Findings * 90% of the visitors to Whiskeytown were residents of California with half of the California visltors living within 20 miles of the recreation area. * 65% of the visitors were day users with half the day users spending 4 hours or less on a given visit. * 55% were repeat visitors. * 60% were younger than 30 years old. * 55% visited the area as part of a family group. * Swimming was the most popular single activity, but "activity sets" comprising a combination of swimming, relaxing sunbathing and food preparation-picnicking reflect the dominant orientation of all users. * Over 1/2 of Whiskeytown's visitors also used Shasta Lake and Trinity Lake. * 36% and 21% Whiskeytown's visitors, respectively, had visited Lassen Volcanic and Redwood National Parks (Whiskeytown's closest NPS neighbors). * Whiskeytown serves a diversity of visitors and different recreation expectations experiences are noted between the recreation sites at Whiskeytown. (Whiskeytown's closest NPS neighbors). * Whiskeytown serves a diversity of visitors and different recreation expectations experiences are noted between the recreation sites at Whiskeytown. Table of Contents INTRODUCTION. 1 WHISKEYTOWN'S HUMAN RESOURCE AREA: SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA 5 WATER-BASED RECREATION PARTICIPATION. 9 WHISKEYTOWN VISITORS. 19 Methods. 18 Results. 21 Who Are They? 21 Where Do They Come From?. 24 How Long Do They Stay?. 26 What Do They Do? .... 28 Where Else Do They Go?. 31 In Summary .... 33 DESCRIPTIONS OF VISITORS BY SITE. 34 Site 1 - Tower House. 35 Site 2 - Powerhouse 35 Site 3 - Highway 299 Shoreline. 38 Site 4 - Whiskey Creek Road Shoreline 41 Site 5 - Whiskey Creek Boat Launch. 46 Site 6 - Highway 299 Shoreline from Whiskey Creek Arm to Information Center 46 Site 7 - Shoreline from the Information Center to Whiskeytown Dam. 49 Site 8 - Shoreline from Whiskeytown Dam to Brandy Creek Area 54 Site 9 - Brandy Creek Boat Launch. 57 Site 10 - Brandy Creek "Teen" Beach . 60 Site lJ. - Brandy Creek "Lifeguard" Beach. 63 Site 12 - Brandy Creek RV Area. 66 Site 13 - Oak Bottom RV Area. 69 Site 14 - Oak Bottom Tent Camping 72 Site 15 - Oak Bottom Beach. 75 Site 16 - Oak Bottom Boat Launch. 78 Summary 81 DISCUSSION: THE NEXT STEP. 84 LITERATURE CITED . 87 APPENDIX: NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RESOURCE LANDS 91 INTRODUCTION This is the third in a series of reports resulting from research undertaken by the National Park Service and Oregon State University at the Whiskeytown Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta- Trinity National Recreation Area. Research at Whiskeytown began 1984 as a result of needs and concerns expressed by Park Service staff. The two primary objectives of the project are to 1. provide managers of the Whiskeytown Unit with a description of current recreation use patterns on the lake; and 2. describe areas of conflict among distinct user groups and between recreation activities. Data collection took place during the summer of 1985, with close to 3200 Whiskeytown visitors contacted. Results are being presented in a series of six reports based on project objectives. The first report, "People, Human Behavior and Water-based Recreation: A Working Bibliography," focuses on human behavior related to water resource systems accommodating water-based recreation. Papers referenced in the bibliography discuss who water recreationists are, where water recreation occurs, how visitors perceive water resources, and the management of water-based recreation areas. 1 The second report, "Recreation Places: A Description of Recreation Sites at Whiskeytown," provides a description of 16 recreation places at Whiskeytown around which the present research effort was organized. These sites were chosen to reflect the variety of physical settings, activities, and levels of management and development found around Whiskeytown Lake. Descriptions of the physical, social, and managerial characteristics of each site are reported. : .. - - - The primary objective of this, the third, report is to provide an overview of the Whiskeytown Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta- Trinity National Recreation Area as a water-based recreation resource. Subsequent reports will address carrying capacity and crowding issues, interpretation activities at Whiskeytown, and visitor response to NPS management issues. The present report is organized into four main sections. First, because approximately 50 percent of visitors to Whiskeytown reside in that County, a brief overview of the population structure of Shasta County California is presented. Second, a brief review and synthesis of water-based recreation participation is presented to compare recreation patterns at Whiskeytown with water-based recreation use patterns and research findings from other studies in the water field. Finally, a profile of visitors to Whiskeytown is presented. Attention is given to demographic characteristics of the recreation population--who are the visitors to Whiskeytown, their origin, type of recreation group 2 using the resource, nature and kind of recreation activities occurring, and ~ chosen for recreation participation. Supplemental information on other water-based resources within the Shasta County area is provided in an Appendix. This information is useful for comparing the Whiskeytown resource to other Northern California water-based recreation resources. 3 WHISKEYTOWN'S HUMAN RESOURCE AREA: SHASTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA National Recreation Areas (NRAs) were created for the purpose of providing recreation areas close to population centers, to "put parks where the people area" (Knudson 1984). NRAs were to be established in areas where there was a lack of outdoor recreation opportunities combined with a large population center within easy driving distance. Examples of NRAs include the Cuyahoga NRA located near Akron and Cleveland, Ohio; the Gateway NRA located near New York City; and the Santa Monica Mountains NRA close to Los Angeles. The growing popularity of outdoor recreation areas, combined with the proximity of most NRAs to population centers assures them a growing clientele and role in the provision of outdoor recreation (Mott 1985). Reflecting the growing trend in popularity of water based recreation, almost all NRAs include an accessible body of water. The Whiskeytown Unit of the Whiskeytown-Shasta-Trinity NRA fits this model, offering high quality, water-based outdoor recreation. Although not as close to major population centers as some NRAs, Whiskeytown is centrally located in northern California and is within a three hour drive of several million people, including those of Redding, Red Bluff, Sacramento, Eureka, and Yreka. (Figure 1.) 5 Whiskeytown Unit Whlskeytown- Shasta-Trinity National Recreation Area FIGURE 1. LOCATIO~ OF WHISKEYTOWN UMIT1 WHISKEYTOWN-SHASTA-TRINITY NATIONAL RECREATIO~ AREA, Research has indicated that visitors at water impoundme~ts come primarily from the local population. Whiskeytown Lake is no exception--47 percent of visitors to the lake during the summer of 1985 lived within 20 miles of the Unit and two-thirds of all visitors came from northern California. Following is a description of those people who live in the area surrounding Whiskeytown, who live within Shasta County and in Redding, the county's seat and largest city, located 8 miles east of Whiskeytown Lake. A 1980 census reported the following